The Warm-Up isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Today, it tackles the sad case of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
It’s 2030. There’s serious unrest in Olivenza, a town planted on the disputed Spain-Portugal border. Relations between the countries have soured and citizens are being advised to avoid the other country due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, a 45-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo has fired Juventus into the Champions League final. The trophy has eluded him for the last 11 years – but not this time.
There’s one problem. The final is scheduled to be played in Madrid, leaving Ronaldo with a difficult decision. Should he risk his safety for a game of football? Sure, it'll probably be fine, but is it worth the gamble? Fortunately, UEFA realise the ridiculousness of the situation and move the final to another country. Ronaldo plays and proves the difference. Juve's 34-year wait for European glory is over.
Back in 2019 and it's a different story. Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss Arsenal's Europa League final against Chelsea after deciding it's unsafe to make the trip to Baku. The Warm-Up won't pretend to know the complexities of Armenia's relationship (or lack of) with Azerbaijan – a conflict centring around the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region – and will only comment that it's desperately sad that a footballer feels trapped by politics.
Of course, Mkhitaryan's status as an above-average-but-not-outstanding player means UEFA will not entertain the idea of moving the game. So much for their Equal Game campaign: "Everyone should be able to enjoy football. No matter who you are, where you’re from or how you play."
Still, we could just about understand their logic if this was an isolated incident. But this final has been a disaster for a long, long time.
The airport? Can't cope with people. The location? More than 2,000 miles away from any club with a realistic shot of reaching the final – and nearly 3,000 from the two that did. The government? Chalking up "an appalling human rights record" according to the Human Rights Watch, while numerous critics have been wrongfully imprisoned.
"I struggle to find the words about how strongly I feel," said Arsenal’s managing director Vinai Venkatesham. "We have a situation that is completely unacceptable. It is not our decision or Henrikh’s but one we made together. We don’t feel he can travel to a major European final and that’s extraordinarily sad. He has had that opportunity taken away from him, one that is a rare opportunity for any player.
"We’re losing the opportunity of having him to help us win a major trophy,” he added. “It’s an extraordinary shame. All we can really do is make our point very clearly to UEFA. After the final we will explain to them why it’s unacceptable and must avoid it happening to Arsenal or any other club ever again."
Anyone who thinks UEFA: Defending Baku is disappointing won't be pleased to hear that a sequel has been commissioned, with Euro 2020 set to descend on Azerbaijan for four games next summer.
So is there any ray of light to come out of this furore? Sort of. At least it's got Piers Morgan into a tizzy.
Subsitute 'Messi' or 'Ronaldo' for 'Mkhitaryan' – still think we'd even be having this debate?
UEFA would move the final.
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